Concealed hinge



CONCEALED HINGE Filed June 8, 19 35 INVENTOR illllllliV/i l \'\1 A Joaf/v/ .5055

Patented May 12, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 15 Claims.

This invention relates to what are commonly known as concealed hinges, and principally hinges of this type employing two butt members with a plurality of links for coupling said butt members together; and the object of the invention is to provide an improved link and butt construction whereby greater stability is, maint'ained between the butt members in the several positions thereof and especially in the closed po-.

of the butts to maintain bearing surfaces for the links throughout the several positions thereof in the operation of opening and closing the hinge; a further object being to provide the sliding end portions of the links with cam members engaging the walls of said grooves or channels to firmly and rigidly support the links including the pintles thereof in said butt members, and still further, to the provision of bearing surfaces engaging the pintles longitudinally of the butts intermediate ,30 the links; and with these and other objects in view, the invention consists in a hinge of the class and for the purpose specified which is simple in construction, efficient in use, and which is constructed as hereinafter described and claimed.

The invention is fully disclosed in the following specification, of which the accompanying drawing forms a part, in which the separate parts of my improvement are designated by suitable reference characters in each of the views, and in which:

" Fig. 1 is a longitudinally sectional view through a hinge made according to my invention, showing the same in a closed position and mounted in respective supports.

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 showing the hinge in open position.

Fig. 3 is a side view of the hinge detached, shown in closed position.

Fig. 4 is a similar view with the butts in a partially open position.

Fig. 5 is a side view of a modified form of binge, detached, showing the butts in closed position, with part of the construction broken away;

-' and,

Fig. 6 is a partial section on the line 66 of Fig. 5.

In the accompanying drawing, I have diagrammatically illustrated at 5 a stationary support and at 6 a door or swinging member, adjacent surfaces of which are provided with sockets 5a, 6a for'receiving the butts l and 8 of the hinge. In the present construction, and for the purpose of illustrating one method of carrying my invention into effect, the butts l and 8 are composed of castings.

Each butt is of substantially similar construction and consists of an elliptical body portion 9, 9a having at the outer surface thereof laterally extending apertured flanges II] for mounting the butts in connection with the respective supports 5, 6. The butts l and 8 are provided with channel's ll, Ila opening through one side thereof and the upper and lower walls of said channels are provided with longitudinal grooves l2, l2a. The back walls of the channels are provided with grooves l3, l3a, two of which are employed in each channel. The back walls of the channels 'I I, I la form intermediate the groove l3; l3a, bearing surfaces M, Ma. Upon a consideration of Fig. 4 of the drawing, it will appear that the grooves l3 of the butt I are arranged in horizontal alinement with the surfaces Ma of the butt 8; whereas the surfaces M of the butt 1 are in alinement with the grooves I3a of the butt 8.

The butts 1 and 8 are coupled together for hinge movement in the construction shown, by two pairs of similar links l5, IEa. Each pair of links is composed of two sheet metal plates arranged one directly upon the other, and if desired, may be riveted, welded or otherwise secured together. The purpose of this construction is to simplify the manufacture of the links and to provide relatively thick links which, by virtue of the laminated construction, may be readily stamped from sheet metal.

The structure of each link l5, l5a being identical, the brief description of one will apply to the other. One end portion [5b of the link is pivoted to each butt, being mounted on pintle pins l6 which are fixed in the respective butts, the other end portions l5c of the links being provided with pintle pins i? which extend therethrough and the end portions of which project 1 into and operate in the grooves I2, I 2a of said butts. Said pintle pins ll also engage the bearing surfaces M, Ma of said butts.

The central portions I5d of the links are offset with respect to the end portions I51), I50 and are disposed one directly upon the other and coupled together by pintle pins It. The end portions I terminate in projecting cams l5e which at all times slidably engage the grooves 13, I30. of the respective butts. When the butts are in a partially closed position, the cams 15c begin to engage the inner walls of the grooves I3, 13a, and especially when the hinge is in fully closed position as is indicated at E9 in Fig. 1 of the drawing, thus operating to force the pintles H of the links in firm engagement with the walls of the grooves l2, 12a. securely retaining the links against movement relatively to the butts laterally as well as vertically when the butts are in closed position to prevent or eliminate rattling. It is understood, in this connection, that the lower and upper surfaces of the cams 15c fit snugly within the grooves l3, l3a.

With link hinges of the class under consideration employing a link unit hingedly coupling the butt members together, a sagging of the butts one with respect to the other or with the door in the door frame has been commonly experienced by reason of the lack of support for the several links in the respective butts. To obviate this defect, it will appear that in the construction disclosed in the accompanying drawing, means is provided throughout the entire movement of the links with respect to the butts for supporting said links or providing a bearing therefor. At the same time, the pintle of the links which slidably engages the butts is supported not only in opposed walls of the butts but intermediate said links.

In Figs. 5 and 6 of the drawing, I have shown a modified form of hinge consisting of two butts 20 and 21, which differ from the butts 1 and 8 in the addition of the bearing portions 20a, 2m thereto so that the upper and lower laminated links 22 of the butt 28 and the laminated links 23 of the butt 2i are provided with continuous bearing surfaces upon the upper surface of the upper links and the lower surf-aces of the lower links. The links 22 and 23 are substantially similar in construction to the links I5, l5a with the exception that the cam portions 24 at the free ends of said links such as are shown on the links 22 in Fig. 6 of the drawing, are made longer than in the construction shown in Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive. In other words, the grooves 25 receiving said cam ends 24 are formed deeper in the respective butts, thus providing wider intermediate bearing portions 25. The pins 21 at the cam ends of the links 22, 23 are provided with antifrictional rollers 28 which operate upon the out- -er surfaces of the intermediate bearings 26 and upon the walls of the grooves 29 which guide the pins in their movement longitudinally of the butts 20 and 2|. The grooves '29 are similar to the grooves l2, l2a in the structures shown in Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive.

From the foregoing, it will appear that with the structure shown in Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive, there is a space in the butt 1 above the uppermost link l5 and a corresponding space in the butt 8 below the lowermost link lea. These spaces are filled as at 20a, Zia, in the construction shown in Fig. 5, to provide the added bearing surfaces for the links, which will produce a more sturdy mounting of the links within the butts and further aid in eliminating the sagging of the hinge or the rattling of a door hung thereby.

By cutting the deeper grooves 25 and providing longer cam portions 24, greater bearing surfaces are provided for the links in the walls of said grooves or upon the bearing portions 26. At this time, it will also be understood that the antifrictional bearing sleeves shown in Figs. 5 and 6 may also be applied to the structure shown in Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive, especially when the butts are constructed of a comparatively large size, whereas in both forms of construction shown, the sleeve bearings are not absolutely necessary on the pins when the butts are of a very small size. The hinge butts may be constructed for light work as well as heavy work.

It will be apparent that the showing in the present drawing is merely illustrative of two methods of carrying the invention into effect, and various types and arrangements of links may be employed in connection with butts designed to receive the same, and this is especially true with respect to the number of links employed in the complete link unit and the number of laminae in each link, the distinctive feature of the present invention residing in the manner of supporting, guiding and reinforcing the movable end portions of the links with respect to the butts to maintain the butts against relative oscillatory movement with respect to each other in the swinging movement between said butts to open and close the same.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

l. A hinge of the class described comprising two butt members, a link unit for hingedly coupling said butt members together, said unit including at least one link mounted on a fixed pivot in one butt and a corresponding link mounted on a fixed pivot in the opposed butt, each link having a free end portion movable inwardly and outwardly with respect to the opposed butt, said free end portions having wide upper and lower bearings surfaces, and means in the respective butts engaging the upper and lower bearing surfaces of the free end portions of each of said links for retaining the links against movement in a plane at right angles to the sliding movement in said butts.

2. A hinge of the class described comprising two butt members, a link unit for hingedly coupling said butt members together, said unit ineluding at least one link mounted on a fixed pivot in one butt and a corresponding link mounted on a fixed pivot in the opposed butt, each link having a free end portion movable inwardly and outwardly with respect to the opposed butt, said free end portions having wide upper and lower bearing surfaces, means in the respective butts engaging the upper and lower bearing surfaces of the free end portions of each of said links for retaining the links against movement in a plane at right angles to the sliding movement in said butts, the free end portions of said links including pintle pins, and means for guiding said pins in their sliding movement in said butts.

3. A hinge of the class described comprising two butt members, a link unit for hingedly coupling said butt members together, said unit including at least one link mounted on a fixed pivot in one butt and a corresponding like mounted on a fixed pivot in the opposed butt, each link having a free end portion movably inwardly and outwardly with respect to the opposed butt, means in the respective butts engaging upper and lower surfaces of the free end portions of each of said links for retaining the links against movement in a plane at right angles to the sliding movement in said butts, the free end portions of said links including pintle pins, means for guiding said pins in their sliding movement in said butts, the central portions "of said links being disposed one directly upon the other and pivoted together, and the free end portions of said links having cams engaging surfaces of the butts to frictionally secure the links against movement when the butts are in closed position. 4. In a link hinge of the class described, a hinge butt, said butt having achannel extending longitudinally therethrough, the "top and bottom walls of said channel having grooves arranged longiitudinally thereof, the back wall of the channel of said butt being grooved longitudinally throughout the length thereof intermediate said top and bottom walls,

3. .A concealed hinge comprising two substantially similar butts having channels extending longitudinally thereof, a link unit consisting of at leasttwo links pivoted together centrallyth'ereof, one end of each link being arranged on a fixed pintle in one of said butts, the other end portion of each link including a pintle slidable in the op: posed butt, the channel of said butts having on opposed walls thereof grooves for receiving and guiding the pintles in their movement longitudinally of said butts, the second named ends of the links including projecting cam-like portions and the back wall of the channels of said butts having grooves extending longitudinally thereof in which the cam portions of said links are slidably mounted and positioned throughout the complete swinging movement of the butts.

6. A concealed hinge comprising two substantially similar butts having channels extending longitudinally thereof, a link unit consisting of at least two links pivoted together centrally thereof, one end of each link being arranged on a fixed pintle in one of said butts, the other end portion of each link including a pintle slidable in the opposed butt, the channel of said butts having on opposed walls thereof grooves for receiving and guiding the pintles in their movement longitudinally of said butts, the second named ends of the links including projecting cam-like portions and the back wall of the channels of said butts having grooves extending longitudinally thereof in which the cam portions of said links are slidably mounted and positioned throughout the complete swinging movement of the butts, said cam portions frictionally engaging the walls of said grooves to retain the links against rattling when the butts are in closed position.

7. A concealed hinge comprising two substantially similar butts having channels extending longitudinally thereof, a link unit consisting of at least two links pivoted together centrally thereof, one end of each link being arranged on a fixed pintle in one of said butts, the other end portion of each link including a pintle slidable in the opposed butt, the channel of said butts having on opposed walls thereof grooves for receiving and guiding the pintles in their movement longitudinally of said butts, the second named ends of the links including projecting cam-like portions, the back wall of the channels of said butts having grooves extending longitudinally thereof in which the cam portions of said links are slidably mounted and positioned throughout the complete swinging movement of the butts, said cam portions frictionally engaging the walls of said grooves to retain the links against rattling when the butts are in closed position, and the back walls of the channels of said butts at opposite sides of the second named grooves engaging the pintles at opposite sides of the links in the sliding move- "ih-etitpf the pintles with respect to said butts.

-8. In a link hinge, a hinge butt comprising a long central body portion, the front face of which is channelled to receive the links of the hinge, one side wall of said body having a deep groove extending longitudinally thereof inwardly of said channel forming upper and lower bearing surfaces for the link of the hinge, said bearing surfaces being equal to the depth of said groove,-and

I said upper and lower surfaces having inwardly of termediate said top and bottom walls, and at least one of said top and bottom walls being continuous withone side wall of the groove formed in the back wall of said channel.

10. In a link hinge of the class described, a hinge butt, said butt having a channel extending longitudinally therethrough, top and bottom walls of said channel having grooves arranged longitudinally thereof, the back wall of the channel of said butt having grooves extending longitudinally therethrough intermediate the top and bottom walls, and the top and bottom walls of said channel being continuous with one side wall of at least two of the grooves in the back wall of said channel.

11. A hinge of the class described comprising two butt members, a link unit for hingedly coupling said butt members together, said unit including at least one link mounted on a fixed pivot in one butt and a corresponding link mounted on a fixed pivot in the opposed butt, each link having a free end portion movable inwardly and outwardly with respect to the opposed butt, means in the respective butts engaging upper and lower surfaces of the free end portions of each of said links for retaining the links against movement in a plane at right angles to the sliding movement in said butts, the free end portions of said links including pintle pins, means for guiding said pins in their sliding movement in said butts, and antifrictional bearing sleeves on said pintle pins and engaging the surfaces of the butts in connection with which said pins are slidably mounted.

12. A hinge of the class described comprising two hinge butts, a link unit for hingedly coupling the butts together, said unit comprising laminated links mounted on fixed pivots in each of said butts, the links of one butt being pivoted to the links of the opposed butt centrally thereof, said links having free ends including cam portions movable in opposed butts, means on the ends of said links and in the respective butts for guiding the links in their movement longitudinally thereof, and said means including grooves formed above, below and at one side of said link ends for receiving the link ends and guiding the same in their movement with respect to said butts in the operation of opening and closing the hinge.

13. A hinge of the class described comprising two hinge butts, a link unit for hingedly coupling the butts together, said unit comprising laminated links mounted on fixed pivots in each of said butts, the links of one butt being pivoted to the links of the opposed butt centrally thereof, said links having free ends including cam portions movable in opposed butts, means on the ends of said links and in the respective butts for guiding the links in their movement longitudinally thereof, said means including grooves formed above, below and at one side of said link ends for receiving the link ends and guiding the same in their movement with respect to said butts in the operation of opening and closing the hinge, and the cam portions of the links firmly engaging one wall of the grooves in said butts when the butts are in closed position.

14. A hinge of the class described comprising two hinge butts, a link unit for hingedly coupling the butts together, said unit comprising laminated links mounted on fixed pivots in each of said butts, the links of one butt being pivoted to the links of the opposed butt centrally thereof, said links having free ends including cam portions movable in opposed butts, means on the ends of said links and in the respective butts for guiding the links in their movement longitudinally thereof, said means including grooves formed above, below and at one side of said link I ends for receiving the link ends and guiding the same in their movement with respect to said butts in the operation of opening and closing the hinge, the cam portions of the links firmly engaging one wall of the grooves in said butts when the butts are in closed position, and said link ends including anti-frictional members engaging the walls of the grooves in said butts to reduce friction in the operation of opening and closing the butts.

15. In a link hinge, the'butts of which are provided with elongated channels for guiding the links of the hinge, a link unit for hingedly coupling said butts together, said unit comprising at least two links of the same thickness throughout their length and pivoted together centrally thereof, means at one end of each link for providing fixed pivoting of the links to the respective butts, the other end portions of each link having relatively wide portions slidably engaging the butts, and the last named end portions of the links being provided with cam surfaces frictionally engaging the butts when in closed position.

JOSEPH SOSS. 

